Anne Haddy

Anne Haddy, Ramsay Street's voice of wisdom, has died aged 68. As Helen Daniels, she was the longest-serving member of the cast of Neighbours, the hugely successful Australian soap opera. She took part in the first-ever scene in 1985, and her matriarchal character continued to offer the reasoned and responsible view for 12 years to come.

Despite the on-screen deaths and disappearances of her fictional family, the Robinsons, Grundy Productions were keen to keep Haddy, and she remained the anchor of the family home. Her own on-screen death, two years ago, took place as she watched the video of the wedding of Scott and Charlene (Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue) - the teenage relationship that epitomised the soap's morality, and helped the ratings soar to a global audience of 120 million viewers a day.

As their romance attracted more and more viewers, Helen Daniels remained a bastion of moral guidance. Higher ratings brought increased complaints about the show's storylines, and Haddy herself felt at odds with her character's liberalism.

Born in Quorn, north of Adelaide, she received a strong classical grounding with the Sydney Theatre Company. Her television career included a long run in other Australian soaps, such as Sons And Daughters and Prisoner: Cell Block H. Her film credits included The Alternative, The Fourth Wish, Newsfront and Fighting Back.

For the last 20 years, Haddy was plagued with ill-health. She suffered a massive heart attack in 1979, which led to four bypass operations. Cancer led to severe internal operations. Further heart troubles, angina and a broken hip led to the kidney trouble which caused her to retire from acting in 1997.

Throughout her time in Neighbours, distinctions between her own life and her character's were often blurred. Grundy kept her character open, and she frequently appeared on-screen nursing the effects of her illnesses. Helen's wellbeing was a constant preoccupation for loyal viewers.

Her private life also invaded the soap - her second marriage was to James Condon, the actor who married her character twice in Neighbours and once in Sons And Daughters, and she once remarked that she would like to have her real-life funeral screened as part of the show.